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owned

v. · adj.
US //ˈoʊnd// UK //ˈəʊnd// owned
  1. 1 past possession (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    the past form of 'own', used when something belonged to you.

    the simple past and past participle of 'own', indicating legal or rightful possession in a prior time.

    Example

    My grandfather owned this farm for fifty years before he retired.

    Example

    The family owned the estate for generations, maintaining the original architecture even as the surrounding town modernised rapidly.
  2. 2 having an owner (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    belonging to a specific person or group.

    characterised by having a specific type of owner; frequently used in compound adjectives.

    Example

    The city has many small, family-owned businesses on the main street.

    Example

    The report highlighted the growth of employee-owned cooperatives as a sustainable alternative to traditional corporate structures.
    • unowned
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  1. 3 defeated in a game (v.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Informal Sport

    to be completely defeated or embarrassed, especially in a video game.

    to be utterly defeated or dominated by an opponent, typically in online gaming or competitive debate.

    Example

    I got totally owned in the final round of the tournament.

    Example

    After bragging about his skills all week, he was completely owned by a novice player in the first five minutes of the match.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is very common in internet culture; it is often intentionally misspelled as 'pwned' in text.

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